Univs connect with students to help cope with uncertainty

The stress about curtailed academics, anxiety created by the novel coronavirus and the sheer pressure of having to stay indoor and socially cut off during the three-week national lockdown could affect the mental well-being of thousands of students.

New Delhi: The stress about curtailed academics, anxiety created by the novel coronavirus and the sheer pressure of having to stay indoor and socially cut off during the three-week national lockdown could affect the mental well-being of thousands of students. Accordingly, city universities have started mental health counselling services either on telephone or through video conferencing.

Jamia Millia Islamia initiated its tele-counselling services for students, teachers and non-teaching staff on March 31 to help them deal with the uncertainties created by the anti-Covid-19 lockdown. Professor Naved Iqbal of the psychology department, who helms the university’s counselling and guidance centre, told TOI that “the lockdown has left several students concerned and in a state in which they need help to deal with mental stress”.

Jamia has a team of volunteers, including research scholars and a couple of professionals, to counsel such people.

Calling the lockdown an unprecedented situation, Delhi University’s S P Jena, head of the psychology department, said, “We have plans to start a helpline soon to connect with students, hear their concerns and provide them support and counselling.” Jena said that the initiative, started by DU’s World University Services health centre, would facilitate interaction with students who were surprised by the “unprecedented announcement” of the lockdown.

Ambedkar University Delhi, with its Ehsaas psychotherapy and counselling clinic, aims to offer psychological support that can help student “cope with the sudden disruption of way of life”. The clinic said in a statement, “We recognise that students are experiencing considerable stress at present. A large part of the students’ anxieties comes from the serious nature of Covid-19 and the fact that there is no definite cure for it even in the most advanced countries. This results in feelings of insecurity and uncertainty their own personal safety and those of their loved ones. The bombardment of tips, dos and don'ts, and moment-to-moment news from all across the world can be overwhelming.”

Anu Singh Lather, vice-chancellor of AUD, said help at Ehsaas clinic would be available daily between 11am and 1pm.

Private universities like Ashoka University have also started online psychological counselling. Arvinder Singh, counsellor at Ashoka’s Centre for Well-being, disclosed she has been receiving a lot of queries from students. “Most are to do with the lockdown. What is important to understand is what the lockdown does to the mental health of an individual. The immediate feeling is that of helplessness, fear and panic,” said Singh.

She added, “With such anxieties at the fore, those who are already anxious and depressed find their mental health issues amplified. They are beset with questions about when they can return to the university, or if is resuming at all. What about exams? What about grading? Some of the students who are graduating don't know what the future is going to be like. There is no clarity even about when they will graduate. Another problems students face is in not being able to go home. For foreign students, loneliness is a big issue.”

Individual colleges, such as Indraprastha College for Women, are also making provisions for mental health counselling. Others are providing assistance to students to reduce their stress. Ramanujan and Rajdhani colleges have been easing the minds of students who live as paying guests by providing them with basic services. S P Agarwal, principal of Ramanujan College, said, “Many of our students, who live in paying-guest accommodation, could not go back home. We have been in regular touch with them and provide them with essentials. We have assured them of help if contact us for any difficulty they may be facing.”

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